An open letter to the public and the editor:
After listening to all of the comments from School Board members and public speakers at the regular Board meetings of Sept. 27 and Oct. 11, I would like to say that I am in favor of all projects in the following order.
Americans with Disabilities Act. This a matter of creating and providing an equal playing field for all Americans, including athletes with disabilities. It also is the right thing to do. I would never want the Natatorium reopening to interfere with creating a more accessible environment for our students, athletes and community members with disabilities.
Athletic field and athletic facilities improvements and upgrades. This project is long overdue. If the costs associated with this project have increased over the years, that is our own fault for waiting so long to spend the dollars needed to accomplish these goals. The longer we wait, the more it will cost.
Robert Frost Auditorium. This building is badly in need of improvements and upgrades. I would not want the reopening of the Natatorium to interfere with this project in anyway.
The Natatorium. Although this project is not on the agenda, I feel it has merits. It equals if not exceeds the importance of the solar project. The Natatorium can provide additional learning experience for all students in the Culver City Unified School District. In fact it can provide additional learning experience for members of the community outside of Culver City who reside in the 33rd Congressional District. Learning to swim and teaching kids to swim saves lives. Every day, about ten people die from unintentional drowning. Of these, two are children aged 14 or younger. Drowning is the sixth leading cause of unintentional injury death for people of all ages, and the second leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 14 years. The Natatorium project —if managed correctly — could be a revenue- generating project just as well as any of the projects with the exception of the A.D.A. project in my opinion.
Look at these light rail and subway projects. We had a rail system in Los Angeles at one time. Some politicians got together and decided it would be better to not have a rail system. Bad idea!
Anyone who is proposing to either tear down or repurpose the Natatorium is mistaken.
The Solar project. I do support the idea of using solar energy to offset the rising costs of electricity. However, this project could be a disaster waiting to happen if it is not managed correctly.
I am in favor of this project purely from an engineering and technology standpoint. I believe that this project should somehow tie into the educational curriculum of the School District. I am in favor of a pilot program.
A much smaller footprint to start out. Let’s use it to develop our technology and engineering curriculum in the School District. In my opinion, the long term impact of solar panels has yet to be fully proven.
I also seriously question the ability of any school district to mange a district- wide solar project. Overseeing the proper installation and maintenance of this technology is not, in my opinion. “Plug and Play.”
I am not going to start pointing fingers at my neighbors and elected officials because the Natatorium is not on the list of projects.
It's time for me to roll up my sleeves and figure out how to get the Natatorium reopened. That’s what I am going to do. That’s how I am going to contribute to my community.
In closing I would like echo the statements made by Scott Ziedman and Patricia Siever lets work together and get these projects done.
Mr. Smith may be contacted at www.2popdigital.com
